Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-11
CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
Recommendation Wade by Capt.
Synsons i'm fzis Annual Report.

3 REINFORCING The WATER SUPPLY IN CERTAIN
sxcTIoSs-sEwEKs AND sTKEEr-LIGHTISG-
Capt Thomas W. symons assistant 10 the En-
gineer Commissioner, In charge OF the water,
sewer. street,ighting and harbOr divisions OF the
District government, has submitted his annual
report to Engineer Commissioner Ludlow. during
the year tn water distributing system was ex-
tended by laying 4j,29s feet OF main OK various
diameters, making ESQ., 73 feet now included In
the system. statement Is given also of the stop
valves put in, IRE hydrants erected, &C., during
the year. The total number OF houses suppned
with water for domestic purposes Is 2i,doo-ln
northwest, I5,579; in northeast, 2.4S6; In SOUTH
west. :, 7O5; in southeast. $50; in West wash
1ngtOn. Isis The total number OF miscehiheous
water-sakers Is T. 743 The receipts Of tue depart
ment for the last fiscal year, Including s13s, sD ~
main tax. agyregafed slm;,5sI.Is, and the ex-
pendltureS xl7l, T19.J3 Tue sum OF t1l,21o stOOu
on the BOOKS OF the u > Treasury 70 the erediI Oh
the water fund az the end of the fiscal year.
The Estimates submitted for the next fiscal year
are as follows: Salaries, s20lCO; contingent ex-
button 800, 900; purchase OF Washington pump
house Ion, s2,275; main 10 AnacOsua, 5000; main
fund account. s13I. 81: Is: total B6s4735. For
the current year the appropriation l. SsUS 20l69,
and The probable actual expenditure Will De
S26O,20l.69. The money on hand and the esti-
mated revenues for the year are s296,279.63. The
estimated revenues for the next Cal year, In
Guiding the balance expected az the end OF The
Incorporates the tabular statement recently puO-
lished in THE STAR Of the finances OF the water de-
partme mt from the organization OF the present
form OF government in 1873 10 July /. 1857.
BURDENS BORNE BY wATER-rAKERs
about three-fOurths OF the people OF Washing
ton" the report says, stake Potomac water into
their houses and pay for the same. The other
fourth are supplied free OF charge by the public
hydrants scattered all over the city, IL Is evident,
therefore, that the waterrent payers pay not only
for the water which they use themselves, but for
the water used by about a fourth OF the popula-
ton who do not pay. Further, these waterfront
payers and those people whose property is assessed
Tor water mains. pay all the expenses OF furnish
ing, erecting, and maintaining the IRE hydrantS
Tor the protection OF property from fire. Again,
there are a large number OF buildings used by the
District government for various purposes which
are supplied with water and for which the water
once receives no revenue believe the most sat
fsfactOry way OF treating the public hydrant ques-
ton Is as proposed IN another part OF this report,
4 e., 20 provide for collecting charge OF from 81
TO 81 per year from all premises within 800 feet OF
public hydrant, which premises are not supplied
with water IN the ordinary way. IL this Is not
DONE and large portion OF the people or the Dis
trtct are TO be supplied with water Tree OF charge
the cost doing should be borne by the District
government out OF the general revenues, ana not
by the water department, or In other words by the
people alone who pay for the water
"fhere are In the city 27O public MIGRANTS, from
each OF which ~ Is estimated that average OF 80
families Is supplied AT the minimum schedule
water rent OF $3.50 per annu'n, e revenue from
each OF these hydrantS should be sos, or from all
$3.50. The water rent and water tax payers OF
PEELED TO pay Tor supplying One-fOurth of the peo-
PIE OF Washington with free water; they are CON-
PEELED 10 pay the expenses incurred oy the water
division in furnishing protection from fire; water
for street sprinklng, flushing sewers, &c; FOR
furnishing water 20 all District buildings, and Tor
all District purposes; and Furthermore they are
compelled to furnish water TO churches, chari able
Institutions hospitals, &C., thus Imposing heavy
burden upon the water takers only, which might
more properly be a general charge. would there
fore suggest that eg1 ation be procured authOriz-
ing special assessment OF IrOl s3 TO IS, according
10 size OF buildings TO be levied upon all premises
situated within 800 feet OF public hydrant which
premises are not supplied with water In the Orui-
nary manner. and this assessment 10 be collected
In the same manner as ordinary taxes and d pos
Tied 10 the credit Of the water Iund, together with
the regular water rent charges and water taxes on
all District property receiving the benefit OF the
water supply
TIE WATER RENT QUESTION.
After comparing the Old and new schedule of
water rents. the report says: 'It Is readily seen
from the table and these Illustrations that there
has been very little increase in small houses-in
few cases a decrease-whIle for large houses The
rates have been considerably Increased. The
present schedule was devised with the main idea
OF rendering the rates more equitable than they
were un1er he old schedule. 1nere has been very
little dissatisfaction expressed by individual water
takers with these rates The total increase in
Consequence OF these new rates. based upon the
number and size OF dwellings, IN the city at present.
Is sl0,sl6.lj. The present schedule was in the
main established many years ago; since then the
uses OF water have changed and many new uses
have been found IOr IL not formerly Contemplated.
-.
for business purposes do not meet present require
ments- They should be modified ana IN Ide more
definite IN several particulars that 1t Will be pos
sible 10 make water charges more IN proportion TO
the benefits received The present system OF de-
yerng the water rent bills at the once Instead OF
upon the premises works satisfactorily Under
the old system from a half To two-third5 OF the
bills had TO be made out a second time account
or the rst lis being lost or not reaching the per-
son who pays the rent. Nov the TigIt person can
come IN, get MS bills and step across the hal and
paw thea, or &c can send note 10 the ONCE and
get and pay hts bills Oy mai"
The report mentions the important additions 70
the water supply ana distribution system during
the year, ana says complaints TO the scarcity OF
water IN the northern part OF the city have almost
ceasek
when the new aqueduct and reservoir, now
under construction by the United states have been
completed. IL Is recommended that a 3O-lnch main
be laid from the end OF the 2O-inch main at 18th
and streets 10 the Champaign avenue tunnel
shaft. and 80 arranged that supply OF water an
De Introduced into the city from this shaft. This
viii b. o; great benefit In Increasing the pressures
La the northwest section OF the city, and IN cases
of accidents 20 supply other parts OF the city THIS
main up l.tn street 10 4 SD Ieet long.
WATERMAN TAXES.
Capt. SymOns quotes from his last annual report
the Recommendation that the Waterman lax
should Be increased from IL to IL cents Der
square foot, and says;
This recommendation may be more fully ex-
planned. The rate OF 4 cents per square foot was
nxed years ago, when IL was deemed sufficient TO
lay one small main IN the middle OF the street for
rate was ample. since the general introduction OF
asphalt payemeDtS IL il found be objectionable
To have d main In the middle OF the street neces-
stating the cutting Of the pavement for each tap
made, or Tor repairs IL Is found desirable 10 have
service main on each side OF the street and rhis
doubles, or very nearly 30, the cost OF the service
main Tor the supply Of square. Another fast
bearing on the subject Is that since the
great Increase In the value OF real estate the aver
age Depth OF lots on which assess nents for wafer
mains would be made very materially de
erased. subdivisions nave been changed IN many
Instances 50 that tier OF lots which originally ran
through 10 an alley or abuIted against Otaer lots
Is low converted into Two tiers OF lots one tier
fronting originally the street and the. other
tier irODting ON the alley or on a small 81 reef re-
placing the alley Now, 70 supply both these tiers
OF lots, tler- Il necessary main IN the street and
one In the alley, and the water tax received Tor
Doth nslns Is approx liately only what 1t would
Originally nave been Tor the one street main ON
account Ok the clmilisned depth OF lots the reve-
naes derived IRON Las Ing the same length OF mains
Is prUpOrJlOnately less than formerly The ave
Dues interesting the streets diaUnalIy maze many
small triangular and irrey uialT-slaped sauar.c
which tend strgely 20 Increase the expense OF Law
Ing seryice-IIalnS without Increasing IN a prouor-
IiOaate TaslO The water taxes.
'.ln Its broad sense conceive the Watertax 10 ba
not the csJ,t merely VI laying main In front OF a
piece OF property but aprOpOTtlOaate share which
THIS piece OF properly. should bear OF the cost OF
The water distribution system, Including not only
the small mains, out the large supply mains as
well
THE FIST mains laid among number OF squares
get the cream OF the Hts as all the corner
lots are then ASSESSED Mains laid at "A later
period Only get TIE IN eriOr lots On other streets
and In some "A In.